Chapter 49

 Comrade Abell told us where the police-court was located, and we agreed to be there at nine o'clock next morning. Then I parted from the rest, and walked until I met a taxi and drove to my rooms.

I felt desolate¹ and forlorn. Nothing in my old life had any interest for me. This was the afternoon when I usually went to the Athletic² Club to box; but now I found myself wondering, what would Carpenter say to such imitation fighting? I decided³ I would stay by myself for a while, and take a walk and think things over. I had been dissatisfied with my life for a long time; the glamor⁴ had begun to wear off the excitement of youth, and I had begun to suspect that my life was idle and vain. Now I knew that it was: and also I knew that the world was a place of torment⁵ and woe⁶.

I returned late in the afternoon, and a few minutes afterwards my telephone rang, and I discovered that somebody else was dissatisfied with life.

“Hello, Billy,” said the voice of T-S. “I see dat feller Carpenter is in jail. Vy don't you bail⁷ him out?”

“He won't let me,” I said.

“Vell, maybe it might be a good ting to leave him in jail a veek, till dis Brigade convention gits over.”

“Funny!” said I. “I had the same idea!”

“Listen,” continued the other, “I been feelin' awful bad because I told dem fellers I didn't know him. D' you suppose he knows I said dat, Billy?”

“Well,” said I, “he knew you were going to say it, so probably he knows you said it.”

“Vell,” said T-S, “maybe you laugh at me, but I been tinkin' I tell dem fellows to go to hell.”

“What fellows?”

“De whole damn vorld! Billy, I like dat feller Carpenter! I never met a feller like him before. You tink he vould let me go to see him in de jail?”

“I'm sure he'd be glad to see you,” I said; “if the jailers didn't object.”

“Sure, I fix de jailers all right!”

“But T-S,” I added, “I don't believe he'll sign any contract.”

“Contract nuttin',” said T-S. “I shoost vant to see him, Billy. Is dere anyting I could do fer him?”

I thought for a moment; then I said: “You might do something for one of his friends, and that's young Everett. He got pretty badly hurt, and he's sticking at the job of taking down all Carpenter's speeches. He ought to have a surgeon, and also a first class stenographer⁸ to take turns with him. Have you got another man like him?”

“I dunno,” said T-S. “You don't find a young feller like Matt Everett everyday.”

I started. “What do you say is his name?”

“Matthew,” said T-S. “Vy you ask?”

“Nothing,” said I; “just a coincidence!”

Our conversation ended with the remark by T-S that he would call up the station-house and arrange to see Carpenter. Five minutes later the telephone rang again, and I heard the magnate's voice: “Billy, dey say he's been bailed⁹ out!”

“What?” I cried. “He declared he wouldn't have it done.”

“Somebody done it vitout askin' him! De money vas paid, and dey turned him out!”

“Who did it?”

“Guess!”

“You mean it was you?”

“I vouldn't 'a dared. I only shoost found out about it. Mary Magna done it, and she's took him avay somevere.”

“Good Lord!” I exclaimed; and before my mind's eye flashed another headline:

FAIR FILM STAR FREES LOVE-CULT PROPHET

 

I promised to try to find out about the prophet at once. “He won't get away,” I said, “because he doesn't ride in automobiles¹⁰, and he and Mary can't walk very far on the street without the newspapers finding them!”

I took my telephone-book, and looked up the name Abell. It is an unusual name, and there was only one attorney bearing it. (I was struck by the fact that the first name of this attorney was Mark.) I called him on the phone, and heard the familiar gentle voice. Yes, Comrade Carpenter had just arrived, and Miss Magna was with him. They were going to have a little party, and they would be glad to have me come. Yes, Mr. T-S would be welcome, of course. So then I called up the magnate of the pictures, and not without an inward smile, conferred on him the gracious permission to spend the evening at the headquarters of Local Western City of the Socialist¹¹ Party!

1 desolate   

adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂

参考例句：

• The city was burned into a desolate waste.那座城市被烧成一片废墟。
• We all felt absolutely desolate when she left.她走后，我们都觉得万分孤寂。

2 athletic   

adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的

参考例句：

• This area has been marked off for athletic practice.这块地方被划出来供体育训练之用。
• He is an athletic star.他是一个运动明星。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 glamor   

n.魅力，吸引力

参考例句：

• His performance fully displayed the infinite glamor of Chinese dance.他的表演充分展示了中华舞蹈的无穷魅力。
• The glamor of the East was brought to international prominence by the Russion national school.俄罗斯民族学派使东方的魅力产生了国际性的影响。

5 torment   

n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠

参考例句：

• He has never suffered the torment of rejection.他从未经受过遭人拒绝的痛苦。
• Now nothing aggravates me more than when people torment each other.没有什么东西比人们的互相折磨更使我愤怒。

6 woe   

n.悲哀，苦痛，不幸，困难；int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌

参考例句：

• Our two peoples are brothers sharing weal and woe.我们两国人民是患难与共的兄弟。
• A man is well or woe as he thinks himself so.自认祸是祸，自认福是福。

7 bail   

v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人

参考例句：

• One of the prisoner's friends offered to bail him out.犯人的一个朋友答应保释他出来。
• She has been granted conditional bail.她被准予有条件保释。

8 stenographer   

n.速记员

参考例句：

• The police stenographer recorded the man's confession word by word. 警察局速记员逐字记下了那个人的供词。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A qualified stenographer is not necessarily a competent secretary. 一个合格的速记员不一定就是个称职的秘书。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

9 bailed   

保释，帮助脱离困境( bail的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Fortunately the pilot bailed out before the plane crashed. 飞机坠毁之前，驾驶员幸运地跳伞了。
• Some water had been shipped and the cook bailed it out. 船里进了些水，厨师把水舀了出去。

10 automobiles   

n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• When automobiles become popular,the use of the horse and buggy passed away. 汽车普及后，就不再使用马和马车了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Automobiles speed in an endless stream along the boulevard. 宽阔的林荫道上，汽车川流不息。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 socialist   

n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的

参考例句：

• China is a socialist country,and a developing country as well.中国是一个社会主义国家，也是一个发展中国家。
• His father was an ardent socialist.他父亲是一个热情的社会主义者。